Building Broadband: Brightspeed fires up fiber for three new Virginia Communities; Cleveland's DigitalC connects nearly 7,000 households

Brightspeed fires up fiber for three new Virginia Communities
Brightspeed has completed its fiber network in three Virginia communities--Altavista, Collinsville and Martinsville—bringing service to more than 19,000 families and businesses. The service provider is enhancing Virginia’s digital landscape, where four in ten residents are unable to purchase a fiber internet plan. Once fully deployed, the company’s multi-gigabit fiber network will serve 65,500 locations across Buena Vista, Campbell, Carroll, Franklin, Galax, Halifax, Henry, Lexington, Martinsville, Rockbridge, and Wythe counties. 

Cleveland's DigitalC connects nearly 7,000 households
DigitalC, the nonprofit selected by the City of Cleveland to deliver citywide broadband access for $18 per month, has connected nearly 7,000 households and brought high-speed home internet to over 17,000 residents across the city—representing 85% of its 2025 goal of 4,700 new connections. DigitalC's Cleveland Model has garnered national and global attention this year. The organization was recognized by Broadband Communities, Être, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, among others, and received a $500,000 investment from Google to support network expansion. This progress was made possible through the support of public partners—the Cleveland City Council, City of Cleveland, and the State of Ohio—and a coalition of philanthropic and technology partners, including the Mandel Foundation, Myers Foundation, Gund Foundation, Microsoft Airband, and Google.

Ezee Fiber furthers its Washington State with the Vancouver fiber build
Ezee Fiber began construction on its fiber network in Vancouver, Washington, marking its continued progress of the company's $400 million-plus plan to expand its footprint throughout the Southwest Washington region. The Vancouver construction project follows Ezee Fiber's Washington launch of service in Kent in late October. Construction in Vancouver will continue through early 2026, with service activations to follow on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. The company plans to announce additional Washington market expansions in the months ahead. Ezee Fiber also announced today that Des Moines and Puyallup in the Seattle metro area have joined its expanding service footprint.

With this latest expansion, Fidium is now available to more than 17,000 locations across Chittenden County, including previous buildouts in Colchester, Essex Junction, Essex Town, Milton and Williston. CCCUD is the fourth Communications Union District (CUD) to complete fiber expansion with Fidium, reinforcing Fidium’s role as a trusted partner in bringing high-speed connectivity to previously unserved communities across the state. Southern Vermont CUD, Otter Creek CUD, and Lamoille FiberNet also selected Fidium for fiber expansion projects.

Greenlight Networks deepens its Pennsylvania reach with FastBridge Fiber acquisition
Greenlight Networks has reached a deal to acquire Pennsylvania-based fiber internet provider FastBridge Fiber, deepening its presence in the state. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. This deal follows Greenlight’s recent acquisition of Scranton-based Loop Internet and builds on the company’s broader growth strategy. In April, Greenlight announced its expansion into Pennsylvania, with service available and additional construction underway in both the Northeast and South-Central regions of the state. FastBridge Fiber’s internet infrastructure complements Greenlight’s existing network and spans Pennsylvania and New York, providing service in Buffalo, NY, and several Pennsylvania communities, such as Berks County, Bloomsburg, Danville, Williamsport, with construction underway in Erie and Hazelton. FastBridge Fiber has been supported and is majority-owned by Guggenheim Investments. Following the closing of this acquisition, Guggenheim will take an ownership stake in Greenlight Networks and, in conjunction with Oak Hill Capital, will further strengthen the company’s growth and expansion initiatives.

Lyte Fiber begins Eagle Pass, Texas, fiber build
Lyte Fiber has begun work on a multi-million-dollar investment in Eagle Pass to deliver fiber internet access to every home, business, and neighborhood in the city. The Houston-based fiber internet company will invest more than $18 million to design, build, and operate a fiber network that will provide multi-gigabit speeds. Lyte Fiber, which began working with city officials in early summer on its planned community-wide network build-out, plans to complete the network build in the second half of 2026. It plans to connect nearly 16,500 homes and businesses, spanning more than 175 miles of new fiber infrastructure across Eagle Pass. The project will create an estimated 35 full-time jobs, and the company will prioritize local hiring and contracting wherever possible. Additionally, Lyte Fiber has pledged a 1 percent giveback to support local schools, nonprofits, and community programs. Designed for durability, Lyte Fiber’s network will feature ringed architecture and backup generators at every cabinet to keep the city online, even during power outages.

Metro Communications’ Clearwave Fiber Southern Illinois deal bolsters its FTTH plans
MCC Network Services has reached a deal to acquire Clearwave Fiber’s Southern Illinois assets, setting the stage for new FTTH growth. The deal includes Clearwave’s Southern Illinois fiber network and related backhaul agreements from CableOne. Constructed over 15 years, Clearwave’s network supports backhaul, public safety, education, and other critical services in Southern Illinois, and the acquisition also adds its expanding FTTH residential business across multiple communities. MCC has planned extra capital deployment for future FTTH expansion and currently serves Southern Illinois communities. Combined, the Metro and Clearwave networks will provide services to over 1,000 on-net towers, thousands of enterprises, and will pass over 250,000 individual locations in Downstate Illinois. Set to close in the first quarter of 2026, after meeting customary regulatory approvals, Metro will work to integrate back-office and field operations, further enhancing services across the region.
Caption: MCC Network Services sets path for new FTTH growth in Southern Illinois.  

Metronet invests $48 million to light up Jackson, Michigan, with fiber
Metronet is expanding its fiber network to the Michigan communities of Jackson, Summit, Vandercook Lake, and Blackman Township. Backed by a $48 million private investment, the project will deliver access to multigigabit internet speeds to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. In partnership with T-Mobile Fiber, the network will provide service to consumers and microbusinesses via T-Mobile Fiber, in addition to businesses and bulk MDU complexes, which will be under the Metronet brand. Commercial internet service with speeds up to 10 Gbps will be offered to local businesses by Metronet directly. Construction on the new network is slated to begin this month, with buildout progressing across multiple neighborhoods in the coming months.

The Junction Internet launches two Northeastern Oklahoma broadband expansion projects
Two projects totaling $5.4 million for high-speed internet expansion in northeastern Oklahoma were recently unveiled near the Craig County town of Welch by the Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) and internet service provider The Junction Internet. The projects, funded through $2.7 million in federal grants administered by the OBO, coupled with $2.7 million in matching contributions from Junction, will connect 337 homes and businesses with broadband internet using fixed wireless technology. The awards were made last year by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board for high-speed internet expansion in Craig and Nowata counties. Grants of some $525 million have been awarded by the Oklahoma Broadband Governing Board. When matching funds from the internet service providers building the projects are added, the total investment is more than $840 million. At least one project is slated to be built in 59 of the state’s 77 counties. Over 180 projects have been awarded to provide high-speed internet access to more than 69,000 homes and businesses.

Vero Fiber extends its Southeast reach with the acquisition of Telephone Electronics Corporation (TEC) acquisition
Vero Fiber is acquiring Telephone Electronics Corporation (TEC), a fiber broadband provider serving Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. The acquisition will reinforce Vero’s ongoing strategy of partnering with FTTP providers that deliver exceptional broadband service to underserved and rural communities, complementing its robust organic growth tactics with strategic acquisitions. It will also extend Vero’s footprint into the rapidly growing broadband markets of the Southeast. Bank Street Group served as exclusive financial advisor and Stinson LLP served as legal counsel to TEC in connection with this transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2026, following completion of customary regulatory approvals.